Book Review for Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews

Published:   June 2, 2026 by St. Martin's Press

Genre:  Romance, Ireland

Taken from Goodreads:  The Queen of the Summer Read is back with her first novel in two years!

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters—but the two have been estranged for years. They could not be more Maeve, a rule-follower and Therese, a rebel. But when their mother's death brings the family back together, the two find that they have inherited a painting—one that could be worth millions and could save each of them from their respective wolves at the door. The only issue is, the painting might be a fake and the only way the can solve the problem is to find the original. This means a road trip—to Ireland, to their family roots, and to a mysterious crime that occurred years ago. With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm. Can Maeve and Therese find the real painting, remove a family curse, solve a cold case, and actually survive without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles.

 

My Thoughts:   How can I resist a trip to Ireland with two sisters to find out about their past and learn what their future could hold?  I cannot resist.   There is so much to discover about the sisters and their family.  

The relationship between Maeve and Therese is not easy.  They are as opposite as can be with a long history to work through.   The trip to Ireland is the perfect way to work through that history and find out what their futures hold.   I felt like I was right beside them as they walked to the local pubs, listened to the local music, visited the local distillery.   When they were researching their family, I had hopes that they would find the answers they were looking for. 

Mary Kay Andrews wrote an amazing book that I could not put down.  I am already a fan of MKA and cannot wait to hear others are saying about her writing.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

 

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Available Now!! Ruby and the Royal by Christine DePetrillo

 

Title: Ruby and the Royal: A Red Riding Hood Meets Prince Charming Fractured Fairy Tale

Series: Fumbled Fairy Tales Series

Author: Christine DePetrillo

Genre/Tropes: Fantasy Romance; Fractured Fairy Tale; Opposite sides of the tracks; Fish out of water; Royalty; He falls first; Alternative fairy tale 

Release Date: June 16, 2026

One quick shake of the master book of fairy tales creates a jumbled mess of the treasured stories on the pages inside—and Ruby finds herself in a forest that is not her own.

Having spent years running through the woods she calls home with a pack of werewolves, Ruby is no stranger to peril. She plots heists with the werewolves by day then carries out the plans by night, all with the intent of stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Ruby does not have much herself aside from the red hooded cloak her grandmother gave her, but she is determined to do good . . . even if it breaks a few laws.

When she and the werewolves wake up in an entirely different realm one morning, they resort to their usual strategies in solving problems—scout around and make a plan. They discover a kingdom and hear news of a royal ball to be held there. Recognizing an opportunity for their largest raid yet, they hatch a new scheme, and after a makeover, Ruby attends her first ball.

Inside the castle, Prince Henri Charming dreads the task of selecting a bride at tonight’s ball, the duty of becoming king one day, and the planned future ahead of him. He would much rather read his books, write in his journals, and ride his beloved horse through the forest bordering the kingdom. Out in nature, he can breathe far better than he can within the stone walls of the castle where the weight of expectations often overwhelms.

At the ball, Ruby captures Henri’s interest for she is unlike any of the other noble ladies in attendance. Dancing with her is all it takes to make Henri change his mind about getting married. Unfortunately, one of the werewolves has also changed his mind and has devised a new plan—one that causes Ruby and the pack to face a horrible fate.

Unless they trust the prince, embark on an adventure, and accept that love is the strongest magic of all.

Ruby and the Royal is an opposite sides of the tracks, fish out of water, royalty, he falls first, no spice, alternative fairy tale between a bold and sassy commoner and a prince who is much more than charming.

THE FUMBLED FAIRY TALES SERIES is a collection of reimagined stories by authors who turn fairy tales on their heads to deliver stories that speak to the heart. Inside, you’ll discover bold heroines and unforgettable characters who refuse to wait for rescue, choosing instead to find their own way to a well-deserved Happy Ever After.

“Your Highness.” Lady Cinderella’s voice had a slight sting to it now. “I must protest. Is not the purpose of this ball for you to spend time with multiple ladies so you may choose from amongst a variety?”

She made it sound as if the prince was attempting to choose the ripest tomato from a street peddler by holding each one in his hands and testing its firmness.

Prince Henri did reach out and give the young woman’s arm a quick squeeze. “I thank you for your concern, Lady Cinderella, but I must catch my breath for a moment. I shall return shortly.”

Did that mean he intended to dance with other ladies, Lady Cinderella included? Had he found the woman to be . . . a ripe tomato?

Ruby clenched her teeth, but she was being ridiculous. Of course, the prince would dance with other ladies. Lady Cinderella was right. This ball was in his honor and had one goal—to find him a wife.

And that was not Ruby.

Christine DePetrillo can often be found hugging trees, conversing with dragonflies, and walking barefoot through sun-warmed soil. She finds joy in listening to the wind, bathing in moonlight, and breathing in the fragrances of things that bloom. If she had her way, the sky would be the only roof over her head.

Her love of nature seeps into every story she tells. As does her obsession with bearded mountain men who build, often smell like sawdust, and know how to cherish the women they love. Today she writes tales meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the power of love.

She lives in Vermont with her husband and many woodland creatures who defend her fiercely from all evils.

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Release Blitz for Until I Found You by Erika Kelly

 

Until I Found You by Erika Kelly is now live!

Pie-Baking Quarterback. Single Dad. Summer Road Trip.

Decker McKenna lives for football--but a three-year-old with big blue eyes is about to rewrite his playbook.

Willa Holland came home to restore her family's inn, not to get tangled up with a grumpy quarterback. But watching him try so hard--and stumble so sweetly--at being a father makes it impossible for her to resist.

Late-night baking. Small-town charm. And a little girl who shows them what really matters.

Steamy small-town romance with a grumpy quarterback, a charming innkeeper, and a daughter who changes the game.

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon US: https://geni.us/uifyEK   

Amazon Worldwide: https://geni.us/uifyEK      

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3NCsO3j 

 

Meet Erika Kelly

Award-winning author Erika Kelly writes sexy, passionate, and emotional contemporary romance. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she lives in the southwest, drinks a lot of tea, and is always waiting for her cats to get off her keyboard.

 

Connect with Erika

Website | https://www.erikakellybooks.com/   

Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7568925.Erika_Kelly   

Amazon | https://bit.ly/3OYEkDf    

Facebook | https://bit.ly/49I3PSM     

Facebook Group |  https://www.facebook.com/groups/ErikaKellysEntourage     

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Newsletter |  https://erikakellybooks.com/pages/newsletter  

Cover Reveal for Wild Card #13 by Kristen Hope Mazzola

 That Wild Card #13 can be unpredictable! The next installment of the Minnesota Frosthawks by Kristen Hope Mazzola is coming August 7th!

Preorder & Join the Events Today!

He was her first bad decision.

He never stopped wanting to be her last.

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Hope Mazzola returns to the ice with the next installment in her Shots on Goal: MN Frosthawks series—where chemistry is dangerous, and some lines were never meant to be crossed.

Ty “Buzz” Burns was never supposed to come back into Lucy Thomas’s life.

Not after high school.

Not after the mistake that ended everything.

Because Lucy didn’t just move on—she rebuilt.

A life where reckless boys like Buzz don’t belong.

Except now he does.

Buzz plays for the Minnesota Frosthawks.

The team her father owns.

The team she works for.

The one place she can’t avoid him.

He’s still chaos on the ice—fast, loud, impossible to ignore.

But this version of him doesn’t disappear when things get hard.

He shows up.

He stays.

And the more they’re forced into the same space, the harder it becomes to ignore the truth—

This isn’t over. It never was.

Lucy has everything to lose—her career, her father’s trust, the life she’s built.

Buzz has one chance to prove he’s not the boy who broke her.

But wanting each other has never been the problem.

Walking away is.

Wild Card #13 was supposed to stay in the past.

This time, it might be the one mistake they can’t walk away from.

About the Author:

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Hope Mazzola is a Florida native now happily rooted in North Carolina with her loving husband and two lazy basset hounds. After several years away from publishing, she has returned to the romance world with a renewed passion for storytelling and a bold, reimagined vision for her Shots on Goal universe. She writes every flavor of contemporary romance— from steamy rom-coms to gritty biker tales to emotional, heart-thumping sports love stories.
​

http://www.kristenhopemazzola.com

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Book Review for Death Was Not on the Guest List by Jenni L. Walsh

 

Death Was Not on the Guest List by Jenni L. Walsh

Published:  June 16, 2026 by Thomas & Mercer

Genre:  Historical Fiction, Mystery Thriller

Taken from Goodreads:  From USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh comes a witty Jazz Age mystery where rivalry, ambition, and deceit glitter under every chandelier…and no one gets out until the killer is unmasked.

In Chicago’s Gold Coast district, twenty of the city’s most glamorous socialites gather for a charity whist drive at the Bellevue House mansion. Brightest among them are Ginevra King Mitchell and Edith Cummings, real-life debutantes who inspired Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby.

But when their sharp-tongued hostess turns up dead and a blizzard traps everyone inside, suspicion and gossip give way to fear. After all, one guest has a habit of burying husbands, another a proclivity for poison. Their charming veneers belie jealousies, ambitions, and deceits aplenty, enough to drive any one of them to kill.

As whispers turn to accusations, the police start closing in. Ginevra and Edith compete to solve the murder, uncovering secrets far more dangerous than the gossip columns ever revealed. But when a second body is found—strangled with Ginevra’s own pearls—their restless rivalry becomes a race for survival. Who’s next? And is the answer hidden in Fitzgerald’s exasperating novel?

 

My Thoughts:  I had this book on my wish list from the first time that I heard about it.   It lived up to everything I wanted it to be.   The characters, especially the Big Four, were great with HUGE personalities and even bigger lives.   They are elite women with their own secrets and secrets about each other.  No one is innocent but who is guilty of murder?  

Death Was Not on the Guest List is a fun murder mystery.  I was kept guessing and loved getting to know the characters as the story went on.  I had guesses, I tried so hard to follow the clues, but I was no match for Ginevra and Edith.  

The Chicago setting is perfect.  The snowstorm was depicted perfectly; those Midwest storms are brutal.  The 1920’s is an era of knowing the right people and keeping up appearances, all found perfectly in the book. 

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

 

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

Meet the Author (taken from herwebsite):  Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy writers, a graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.

For adults, Jenni has written historical novels Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, The Call of the Wrens, Unsinkable, Ace, Marvel, Spy, Sonora, and the forthcoming Death Was Not on the Guest List. She also writes books for children, including the nonfiction She Dared series and novels Hettie and the London Blitz, I Am Defiance, By the Light of Fireflies, Over and Out, Operation: Happy, The Bug Bandits, and the forthcoming Outlook Unclear. To learn more about Jenni and her books, please visit jennilwalsh.com or @jennilwalsh on social media.